My Hero
by Soundone
Summary: Cynthia always wanted to be a hero. A hero who is strong, a hero who combats evil at every step and triumphs in glorious fanfare. But a memory from her past soon gives her a new goal and Kjelle soon finds herself the object of attention as the pegasus knight discovers the true meaning of being someone's hero.
1. Chapter 1

This little thing is based on Cynthia and Kjelle's convo in the hot springs dlc, which was too freaking cute to not write something about.

I highly recommend you watch it first before reading this story.

Cynthia and Kjelle's Hot-Spring Scramble Conversation

* * *

><p>''<em>Ha...Ha...n-no! G-Go away! Stop! Ha...Ha...no...sniff...''<em>

_The think blanket of smoke choked at little Cynthia's lungs as she stumbled through the flaming ruins in a desperate panic, face matted with sweat and grime. Tears, half frightened, half shameful, ran free down her bruised face as ash stung at her skin and regret at her soul. Her eyes drifted upwards to try and utter a short prayer to the stars, yet only soot and fire was visible, trapping even her hopes in this desolate, burning prison. Her face scrunched up._

_Darn it, why was she so weak? She practised so hard, sparred with her sister so much that her lance arm wanted to fall off. These were the risen that took her parents from her, that reduced her beautiful country to a wasteland. She was supposed to be a hero, to defeat them all and bring peace back to Ylisse._

_Yet, when she saw that rotten, sickening, grey corpse shambling towards her, vile miasma escaping from its mouth and a devilishly sharp axe raised at her head, her resolve and bravado crumbled to dust, leaving only complete fear in its wake. _

_The piecing sound of steel rang high in the humid air as her prized lance clattered forgotten upon the ground. All those heroic lines she had practiced the months before were never said and replaced with a pathetic, shrill whimpering as the girl turned tail and ran for her life._

''_Aunt Lissa! Lucy! Anyone! H-Help! Please... MOTHER! FATHER! HELP ME!''_

_In her hysteria, Cynthia failed to notice a piece of debris right at her feet, sending her crashing down to the hard, charred ground. Every movement she made in order to get back on her feet, sent waves of pain down her broken body. Yet, even this torture could not remove her from the dreadful rustling of a figure behind her. Terrified eyes darted back and trembled at the grisly form of a risen assassin slowly moving towards her. It's demonic eyes seemed even more bloodthirsty in the glow of the fire as one, glistening dagger was paraded threateningly in it's hand._

''_Ahh...n-no...'' She had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Shaking eyes could only watch as her executioner ominously walked towards her. She would die a nobody in this tragic world. She would never get the chance to avenge her mother, to be the hero that was worthy of being called the great Sumia's daughter. Her eyes shut in despair as the risen suddenly made a rush for her. Her voice cracked in order to shout one last plea to the unseen stars._

''_HELP ME!''_

''_Cynthia!''_

_Slash_

_For a few tense seconds after the sound, Cynthia's eyes remained shut, still paralyzed in fear. Yet, when she decided to open her eyelids just a sliver, that fear was instantly replaced by complete awe, before quickly shifting to worry._

''_...K-Kjelle!''_

_Standing before her was a girl no older than her, yet almost twice as big. Her finely toned body lightly trembled before her as her saviour's normally stoic face was tainted by a suppressed stock of pain. Beautiful, brown eyes bore into Cynthia's soul as they silently scanned the girl for injuries, even in light of Kjelle's own dreadful one. Peaking behind, Cynthia almost hurled when she saw her friend's back cascading with red, vivid blood and the striking base of a dagger protruding damningly from it._

_Before Cynthia could resume her tears, Kjelle's eyes lit up with a fire brighter than any of the flames around them. Despite her grisly wounds, she savagely spun her body to face the risen, grunting as the motion caused the blade to tear her back even further. Producing a hatchet from her side, the girl made a focused, yet powerful swipe at the stunned assassin's neck, it letting out a loud shiver before crumbling to smoke. Kjelle made no motion to celebrate, however, as her shoulders weakly sagged and legs began to give out._

''_What...what did I say about w-watching...y-your...''_

_Using the last of her strength, Kjelle faltered from her wounds and collapsed, Cynthia rushing over to catch her before she hit the ground. Her friend's breathing was so shallow, so heavy. Cynthia desperately tried to control her violent shaking as she felt Kjelle's warm blood drain and pool on her bare hands. _

''_Kjelle! W-Why d-did you...S-Stay with me! D-D-Don't...'' Tears returned to her face, dripping down like dew off a leave as she cursed her worthlessness._

''_H-Help! Help! Somebody!'' she bellowed, lone shouts echoing loudly through the crackling ruins. ''Help! My friend...! Help her, please!''_

* * *

><p>''KJELLE! Ouf!''<p>

Cynthia fell out of her bed with a groan. She made a wild scan of her now much less fiery surroundings before calming the rushing blood in her veins. ''O-oh...Just a dream.'' she whispered, a touch of fear still on her voice.

The pegasus knight lightly rubbed her bruised rump as she steadily picked herself up and made her way over to her mirror. Picking up a brush, Cynthia began methodically combing her navy blue hair as she silently stared at her reflection, eyes pausing to access both her complexion and her growth.

Cynthia liked to think that she really had grown from the snivelling little girl from all those years past. She did have plenty of experiences to grow from, after all. She eventually learned how to fight for real and cut down hordes of risen from Plegia and back before travelling back in time of all things. Now she fought side by side with her parents and the other legendary heroes of legend in order to stop an ancient evil from making her future as bleak as it was. You know, hero stuff.

But...recently, that particular memory had come back to haunt her. Sometimes, she wondered what would have happened if Aunt Lissa hadn't have found them when she did, if somehow, her weakness had managed to have gotten Kjelle...

''Bwah! No, bad Cynthia!'' the girl squeaked, smacking her cheeks with both hands. The weak Cynthia was looooong gone, replaced by the new, totally awesome, heroic Cynthia! Kjelle said it herself. If she was to become a true hero, and make Kjelle scar into a badge of honour, she had to prove herself and slay bad guys, save the world, make heroic poses (She was especially interested in that one). But, the great heroes that the bards sing of gotta start somewhere. Maybe she couldn't be everyone's hero right now, but she at least can matter to someone, be someone's gallant knight who would bravely fight and die for the maiden's honour, and she knew exactly who that princess would be.

''Haaaargh!''

Kjelle's great shield just barely was able to resist shattering from Minerva's crushing tackle as the general used her great fortitude to hold strong against the tremendous weight of the beast. With a shout, she throttled the metal plate to push the wyvern out of the way and chance a strike at it's masked rider. Gerome winced as the wooden spear nicked the side of his chest, but bit down the pain as he commanded his wyvern to give a wide berth between the two fighters, the two taking a moment to catch their breath as they searched each other for openings.

''Pah! That was a cowardly trick, Gerome, having your mount fight for you!'' Kjelle taunted, a pumped smile eager on her face as sweat glistened off her brow. ''Perhaps I should just spar with Minerva from now on!''

The stone-faced man merely grunted at the jab, brandishing his practice axe and fiddling with his wyvern's scales. ''You do whatever you can to survive in a fight. Foolish notions, such as honour is what gets stupid men killed in war.'' Without so much as a warning, he suddenly flew his mount towards the knight, axe raised high in the air and teeth snarling. ''But if you wish to see my bladework, allow me to give you a closer lo-ARGH!''

''Hiya!''

In a snap, her battle instinct was washed away as Kjelle's eyes bulged and jaw dropped when she saw Cynthia abruptly materialize out of nowhere and smash a log right into Gerome's jaw, sending the rider flying to the ground, unmoving and rump raised high in the air. Minerva gave a horrified screech before she raced over to help her passed out master, though Kjelle doubted that the frequent licking did much to help.

''Da, da, da, dun! Evil-doers beware! None shall harm my princess!'' the peppy girl announced, her sunny demeanour ignorant to the fact she had knocked out one of her friends. Said look then flashed towards Kjelle as she scrambled her way over, eyes beaming and singing for praise.

'Oh no. Not again.'

''Your hero has arrived, my lady! Now, come, rest your tired feet as we run heroically towards the sunset!''

''N-No! I told you not to do this again, Cynthiaaaaaaaahhh!''

In a surprising bout of strength, the pegasus knight scooped up her friend, armour and all, and held her firm and secure in her arms, bridal style. Oblivious of the blushing and shouting of friend, Cynthia skipped and frolicked towards the midday sunset as happy as can be, the armoured general still trashing about in her arms.

''Time to make haste, princess! Let's go find Nah, so I can show you how cool I look when making poses on her head!''

''STOP CALLING ME PRINCESS! YOU'RE AN ACTUAL PRINCESS AND I'M AND ACTUAL KNIGHT! STOOOP!''

Gerome returned to consciousness just in time to see the tiny Cynthia adamantly carry his plate-mail clad sparring partner off as she cried and flailed. He allowed his normally passive face to break as he stifled a laugh, remounting his wyvern as they flew off.

''Come Minerva. This is usually the time when Inigo sneaks off to dance.''

* * *

><p>Kjelle slammed her head down on the torch-lit mess hall table as groans and moans paced out of her mouth, Lucina beside her and gingerly comforting her friend with a pat. She had caught a glimpse of her sister parading around Kjelle for the entire camp to see before she managed to pry the knight from her humiliation and sent Cynthia on her way with promises of sweets. Now she spent her downtime listening to the ramblings of her friend as the knight drowned away her sorrows in a glass of ale.<p>

''This is the third time this week, Lucina! My mom can't even look me in the eye without cracking up!'' she moaned, hands covering her shame. ''Why did I have to say all that hero stuff to her?''

''Yes, I never knew Cynthia had it in her, especially the upper arm strength.'' the blue-haired lord giggled, remembering a particular instance when her sister had decided to carry a half-naked Kjelle out of the bath hall, believing that her 'princess' was in need of a good cleaning. ''But, I'm sure she just wants to be of use to you. Believe it or not, she really used to look up to you when we were children. She said you looked like a knight in shining armour.''

Kjelle continued the hiding of her face, though this time, it was likely to cover up her slight blushing. ''And now the knight in shining armour is a princess in distress.'' she sighed, prompting a chuckle from Lucina. The knight's eyes suddenly became downcast, brown orbs squinted in deliberation. ''...She still feels really guilty about what happened despite it all. Sometimes, when the little scamp is lugging me around, I see a little bit of pain and worry looking down on me, like she's still hurting from that day.'' The knight hardened her stare, pushing her half-full mug away as a hand gingery massaged her back. She sighed. ''I've already moved on, why can't she?''

Lucina flinched as memories of that stressful day flashed through her head. They were barely teenagers back then and still she remembered seeing her little sister screech and bawl as her friend bled out in her arms. Thank Naga her aunt was close by with a staff. ''Just bare with it for a little, Kjelle. Cynthia was so traumatized after that day, she would wake up screaming on some nights, crying and hugging her knees for dear life.''

Lucina grimaced as she tried to pry such images out of her mind. She could still hear the terrified screams in the dead of night and the whimpering that accompanied bitter tears. ''She'll learn to deal with it in time. For now, let her act out her praise on someone who deserves it. Please, for me?''

''Hmph, you talk like her 'praise' is a good thing.'' the knight joked, a small smile blooming on her stoic visage. Though, any rebuttals were quickly shot down when she became scrutinized by her friend's pleading, azure eyes. ''Hah, alright, fine. But you owe me ten practice sessions for this!''

The woman's voice jingled with mirth, placing a friendly hand above Kjelle's own. ''Never have I met someone who treats sparring as currency! But, it is a deal nonetheless. And once again, thank you, Kjelle, for saving my little sister's life.''

With a sheepish nod from Kjelle, the two friends resumed their meal of tomato soup and stale bread, finding conversation in more light-hearted matters.

Owain grumbled irritably to himself as the blank scrap of paper before him mocked the swordsman. He was in the midst of devising heroic plot devices that would unleash the true power of his sword hand and drive him into an invincible rage of rage, crushing all who opposed him!

''...Oh, perhaps I should wait until uncle fells in battle! Then, when I catch his dead, lifeless, body in my arms, the power of his brand will transfer to mine!...No, that involves him dying...Oh, or maybe when Robin has been gruesomely slain, the sight of our tactician's horribly maimed body will cause Robin's dragon blood to pour into mine, turning me into Omega Grima Owain!...No, that involves Robin dying...Darn it, this hero stuff is hard!''

His brooding was interrupted when an excited pegasus knight decided to burst into his tent, sugar and crumbs littering her lips and a determined glint in her eyes.

''Owain! Put aside your third-degree murder plots for a minute and give me some advice here!'' she said, plopping herself down on his cot.

Happy to take his mind off his failed plans, the swordman quickly pushed the pens and empty parchments off his desk before adopting his signature hand-over-eyeballs pose, an equally eager grin on his face.

''Cynthia! If it isn't my fellow Justice Cabal, the handmaiden of heroes, the crown of cousins!...err, but don't tell Lucina that.'' he chuckled with shifty eyes, but never allowed the enthusiasm from leaving his face, puffing out his chest. ''What sort of heroic consultation do you need of me?''

For a moment, Cynthia's enthusiasm, on the other hand, made a momentary retreat, a brief flash of nervousness replacing it. But no angst could stop the infallible will of the great Cynthia! Taking a deep breath, the pegasus knight resumed her request, eyes strong and nostrils flared.

''It's Kjelle, cousin. I'm starting to think she doesn't enjoy me being her hero! I mean, who wouldn't love a personal, dashing Cynthia carrying them wherever they went and undressing them whenever they needed a bath?!'' the girl miffed, feeling rather unappreciated.

Owain could help but to laugh at memory of his cousin's 'hospitality'. ''Pffft, oh man, that was hilarious! I can't believe you actually dragged Kjelle wearing only a bath robe across camp just to get her the right kind of soap!''

Cynthia put on an angry pout at the sight of Owain's mocking tears. ''Hmmmmmph, That's not funny! I didn't know what kinda of soap she liked! Plus, more people should get to appreciate Kjelle's figure!''

''I don't even think Kjelle uses soap! And I'm sure a lot of people got to 'appreciate' her figure. Inigo certainly looked like he did!''

Cynthia puffed out her cheeks even more. This clearly wasn't going where she wanted it to. ''Awww, knock it off, Owain! How do I get her to like me more!'' the girl whined, a cute little little frown on her face. ''Oh, you and Nah really seem to get along! She lets you carry her in your arms! How did you do it!''

Owain paused his laughter as a patch of red started to grow on his features. He wouldn't put it pass his cousins to be this oblivious, but carrying another person in your arms is usually something reserved for couples...which he and Nah recently became.

''Ergh, hm, um...''

This wasn't exactly something Owain wanted to talk about and definitely something Nah wouldn't want mentioned to other people, especially not to the person who frequently tries to mount her head.

''Well, N-Nah and I...we...'' Cynthia's glossy eyes weren't making this easy. ''N-Nah let's me do that b-because I'm...uh...funny?''

Cynthia raised an unconvinced eyebrow that deeply wounded his pride. ''U-Uh, I-I just make her happy, alright!'' he yelled through his blushing, perhaps a little too loud. ''L-Look, if you want Kjelle to like you, just make her smile a little or something. Tell some jokes, do stuff with her that doesn't involve embarrassing her! Nah seems to like it when I just hang out with her!'' the man skittishly finished, oddly out of breath.

Looking past her cousin's fidgeting, Cynthia's eyes glazed in contemplation. 'Hanging out huh?' she pondered. Did hanging from her arms count? Probably not. But, she did want to get to know Kjelle a little better... They never really got a chance to have a friendly conversation when they were shoulder deep in risen or when Kjelle was half-conscious from blood loss.

''Hmmmm...Getting to know the princess behind the veil...'' she hummed. That certainly sounds like something a hero would do.

''You're never going to drop this princess thing, are you?''

Feeling satisfied, Cynthia sprung up with a smile. ''I'll think on it! Thanks, Owain!'' And with a quick wave, she dashed out of the tent in a blur, leaving quickly as she came.

Freed from his torment, Owain gave a hefty sigh of relief, happy to have kept his secret with Nah from falling into the wrong hands. Turning back to his desk, the man resumed to his scheming.

''Now, back to heroic plots! Hm, maybe I should wait until Kellam dies. Yes, no one will even notice!''

* * *

><p>Kjelle thoroughly gave her tense shoulders a good stretch as she strolled through the cool, evening breeze. Her little conversation with her friend had eventually evolved into a sparring match and while she didn't like to admit it, Lucina could run circles around her with that rapier. Her battle-lust sedated, all the weary knight wanted right now was to get better acquitted with her mattress.<p>

''Yohoo! Kjelle!''

Sadly, it seemed Naga was indifferent to her wishes, as she saw Cynthia race towards her once again, arms ominously out-stretched and that chipper grin reflecting promises of great embarrassment. But she was too tired to fend of her attacker after that training session she just had! (though, it's not like she could fend her off normally) Thus, the knight could do little more than brace herself against the coming storm, eyes closed and unable to face her imminent disgrace. Just a little more, and...

''...Hey!''

Kjelle peaked an eye open. To her surprise, she wasn't a couple feet in the air. ''Umm, hi?''

''Hi!'' she repeated, making no effort to advance the conversation past pleasantries.

They stood there in the middle of camp for a few seconds longer, Kjelle giving her a greatly confused stare while Cynthia stayed motionless, the big, dopey grin never budging an inch.

'Oh! Yeah! Hanging out!' the blue-hair girl remembered, her excitement getting the better of her.

''Uhh, so hey! Whatcha up to, Kjelle!'' she chimed, though with a slight squeak to her voice.

The knight raised an eyebrow, half-wary, half-pleasantly surprised that she wasn't being thrown about like a sack of potatoes. ''Er, heading back to my tent?'' she approached, cautiously.

''Oh, let me come with!'' giving a little bounce. She caught herself. ''Ahem, I mean, a hero needs to escort her princess back to the castle.'' she charmingly said, giving her a slight curtsy. Unfortunately, her genetics decided to kick in and the girl quickly stumbled to the ground face-first.

''Owww!'' she peeped, wiping away clumps of dirt from her hair as she knelt on the dusty floor.

Kjelle simply winced at the cheesy display. But, that little smile her friend does when she's excited could convince a risen to dance. She sighed in defeat. ''F-Fine. Just...just none of that carrying crap, alright?'' the knight conceded, offering a hand. Her exhaustion was too great to try and convince her friend.

With an eager nod Cynthia took the hand and accompanied her friend back to her tent, ready to initiate part one of her super, awesome plan. Or so she thought. After a full minute of walking in silence, the blue-hair girl realized that she had no idea what to talk about when hanging out with Kjelle. Her usual icebreaker of lifting Kjelle up had been ruled out in this situation, making her feel oddly uncomfortable without the knight in her arms. This lead the pegasus knight to squirm and mumble at the odd air between the two of them.

'Ummm...darn it, Cynthia! What does Kjelle like to talk about?! What did Owain say he does with Nah? Make her laugh, right? Oh, jokes! I can do jokes...I think. Hmmm...oh! That's a classic!'

''Kjelle!'' the chipper girl suddenly and loudly announced, causing her friend to yelp and nearly trip in surprise.

''W-What?''

''So a griffon walks into a bar, and the bartender says, 'Why the long-'...oh, darn it! I was supposed to say horse...''

Her friend just gave her a strange stare.

'Oh no, this is totally not going well!' she mentally cried, fingers fidgeting about in her palms while small rivers of sweat dripped down her forehead. 'Think, think!'

''Ah, Bwah! S-So, w-what's the deal with airplane food?!''

''I don't even know what an airplane is, Cynthia!''

''Errrrr...'' the girl groaned. She didn't know what an airplane was either. Tiny pools of frustrated tears threatened to leak out of her eyes as her wavy mouth lips started to quiver. 'This is so embarrassing!'

Noticing the imminent waterworks, Kjelle's hand instinctively found it's way to her friend's shoulder, eyes glinting with worry. ''C-Cynthia! Why are you- Are you hurt? What's wrong?'' the doting tomboy asked, inspecting the girl for bruises.

Cynthia squirmed under her friend's scrutinizing stare, feeling awfully unheroic right now. ''N-No, sniff, I'm okay.'' The great Cynthia felt uncharacteristically shy as she tried to voice her thoughts. ''I mean...do you like me, Kjelle?'' the girl whimpered, staring up at her friend with big, sparkly, eyes.

It seemed like Cynthia's embarrassment was contagious, since as soon as the words left her mouth, a deep blush raced like wildfire across Kjelle's face, tickling her ears a light strawberry hue. ''W-W-What k-kind of question is that?!'' the knight shouted, though Cynthia's increased whimpering made her greatly soften her tone. ''Ahem...I-I mean...o-of course I...like you, Cynthia.'' she lamely muttered, the blush now moving down her nape.

But Cynthia wasn't convinced. ''B-But, you don't look like you enjoy it when we spend time together! I...I just want to be your hero, Kjelle...plus get to know you a little better...'' The snivelling still hadn't fully died down.

The knight gave a low hum of realization, before smiling a tender smile.

'Is that what this is all about? Hah, the little crybaby...'

With a brief chuckle, Kjelle raised a hand and scuffled the pegasus knight's messy, blue hair, getting some huffs, before continuing their pace. ''Cynthia, do you really think I can enjoy your company when I'm being dragged half-naked around the camp?''

The girl winced guiltily in response, her own cheeks fogging with red as she just now realized how degrading that must have been. ''Oh...sorry!''

Kjelle light heartedly scoffed. ''Sorry? That's all you have to say after half the company, including my parents, got to see me dripping wet and only wearing a bath robe?'' she teased, though quickly reassured her friend after she saw her mouth start up another apology.

''Relax, it's fine. I know you're dead set on this hero thing, but there's more to being a hero than lugging me around, Cynthia. Just having my back in battle and fighting the way you do is already worthy of a song or two.''

''R-Really?!'' Cynthia squeaked, a child-like twinge of hope in her voice.

''Really. But, if you just want to talk, I'm game for that too. Heroes need some time to bask in their public, right?'' the knight smirked, wiping a stray lock of blue hair away from Cynthia's eyes.

''P-Public? Me?!'' she yelped. Was this the recognition Cynthia had been waiting for? Had her heroing finally paid off? She looked over her friend with wide eyes, taking in the handsome, chiseled physique of her body, along with the surprising softness and tranquility of her fair face. An image of that face staring back at her against the glow of flames flashed through her mind, her saviour looking at her with selfless eyes that were more worried about the minor wounds of another, rather than the much more severe wounds of her own. A face of a true hero, and a face that she also wanted to protect.

Lowering her eyes, Cynthia cracked a serene smile. 'Not yet, Kjelle. I'll turn that scar into the most awesome badge of honour ever! Just wait a little longer.'

''So, nice weather we're having, isn't it, milady?'' she piped, swiftly wiping any remnants of tears away and slapping on her usual charged smile.

Kjelle gave the briefest of stares, intrigued by the odd choice of responses, but chalked it up to the usual, whacky, Cynthia. Nudging her head forwards, the two continued on their stroll to Kjelle's tent, looking up to enjoy Naga's sparkling, star-studded night. The evening breeze felt cool on their skin, both of them sharing a quick laugh after they simultaneously sighed, wisps of smoke dancing past their lips.

''Yeah, looks bright, doesn't it?''

They eventually found topics to talk about. From fairytales to armour choices, the two girls finally were able to relax in each other's company as the moonlight radiated gently above.


	2. Chapter 2

With a triumphant whoop, Cynthia made a sharp dive at the shambling risen as she commanded her pegasus with heroic grace. She raised her lance to swiftly deflect the creature's incoming blade, before lunging and piercing through its chest. The beast whispered a vile curse on its last breath before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

''Nailed it!'' she cheered, pumping her fist gallantly before moving on. Their company was currently in the midst of protecting a merchant from a pack of risen. Why these seemingly identical-looking people kept wandering into risen territory just to stand still was beyond her, but at least the battles made for some heroic tales!

The rest of the Sheperds were slowly, but steadily routing the small pockets of risen, most pairing up to complement each other's weak spots. After a bit of recon, Cynthia quickly found the object of her interest. Fighting off in a secluded corner of the battlefield, was Kjelle, taking on multiple risen by herself because who needs someone to watch your back when you have no weak spots? Cynthia's eyes lit up in fascination as she watched the general slash and pierce her foes with deadly efficiency. Beads of sweat sparkled like diamonds with each movement, her lance danced and struck like a viper as it skewered risen. She was sure that the juggernaut could cut down the entire force by herself if need be.

But a hero is never idle, plus she still needed to prove her heroism to Kjelle. With shout, she flew her pegasus down towards her princess and aimed a javelin straight at the heart of a risen sage. The corpse barely knew what hit him as the spear plunged cleanly through his chest and lodged its stunned body to the ground, where it quickly evaporated.

''Dun, da da daa!'' Cynthia announced, her sudden appearance getting an amused smirk from the knight. ''No evil will taint this land as long as I still stand!''

'Oh, that was a good one!'

''About time you joined me, hero.'' Kjelle grinned, slamming a charging berserker off her shield. ''You need to step up your game. No one will sing songs about you if your kill count is that low.''

Cynthia playfully pouted at the teasing before fluttering next to her friend and impaling a nearby trickster. ''Hah! Hope you like alphabet soup, because you're gonna eat those words, Kjelle!'' matching the intensity of her friend's smirk.

With a simultaneous nod, the two charged and crashed into the risen horde with twin lances and shoulder-to-shoulder. Kjelle was the wreaking ball of the duo, absorbing every manner of weapon that the risen threw at her while returning the favour with cold, sharp, steel. Cynthia, on the other hand, manoeuvred her pegasus above and around the knight with a graceful dexterity, sniping mages with her javelin and slashing any pesky foes who got too close to her partner.

'This is totally awesome!' Cynthia bubbled, cutting down three lesser risen with a single swoop of her lance. While there was significantly less saving damsels in distress than she would have liked, fighting alongside Kjelle gave Cynthia a strange feeling of redemption and satisfaction, like she was making up for the past. At any rate, showing off her super cool hero moves to her friend was something that was always worth the time and weapon durability.

But, as luck would have it, perhaps Cynthia could score some heroic rescue points today. Her eye caught sight of a shadowy assassin slowly creep its way up behind the general, who didn't seem to notice it.

'Oh no you don't, bub! You're not making another scar on Kjelle's pretty back!'

Veins pumping with vigour, Cynthia's lance soon found its way into the risen's thigh. The zombie gave a hateful hiss at the sudden interruption, putting up a literal ghost of a resistance before it succumbed to another strike of pointed steel.

''Ha-ha! None shall harm the princess! Are you safe, mila...shield?''

Turning around, Cynthia came face-to-face with the wide slab of metal, raised in a perfect defensive position. Looking past it, she saw that all of the other risen had already been defeated, and Kjelle's lance poised at where the assassin was once standing. She knew the assassin was there.

''Thanks, sport. But a risen is gonna need a couple crates of speedwings if it wants to get the drop on me.'' the knight adamantly boasted, putting down her armaments for a momentary stretch. ''Nice kill though.''

Even with the compliment, Cynthia still brooded, puffing out her cheeks.

'Awwww, no fair! I wanted to protect her!' Guess she really doesn't have any weak spots. Watching the knight bend and stretch her arms, Cynthia puffed out a disheartened sigh into her pegasus's mane, the beast giving an almost scolding whinny at her master's immaturity.

But, the rider's melancholy was sharply broken when she heard a slow and ominous creaking behind her. Cynthia swirled her head around to look eyes with a hidden risen sniper, a foreboding arrow trained directly at her.

Cynthia's senses went into overdrive. A single, well-placed arrow could be fatal to pegasus knights such as her, and snipers were known for hitting their mark. In a panic, the girl fumbled harshly with her reins. But, the pegasus was caught too unaware to react fast enough, buckling and causing Cynthia to trip and fall off the creature.

'Oh no...' she shook. The bow was almost at full stretch now and she had nowhere to run. Cynthia squinted her eyes hard as she prepared herself for what would come after.

'No, no, no... not yet! I'm still not a hero, I still haven't proved myself...Mother, Lucina, Kjelle... Kjelle!'

''Cynthia!''

She felt strong hands envelope her once again and a dreadful piercing sound following. Yet, her body did not hurt, nor did it bleed. When her eyes finally greeted sunlight again, then did she realize the horror that had transpired.

''...KJELLE!''

Her mind returned to that dark place all those years ago when she saw the petrifying sight before her. A normally stoic face scrunched up in pain, a pair of eyes staring hauntingly back at her, the damning glow of red that seeped out from her friend.

'Oh gods, no.' Her mind was spiralling. She wanted to vomit. Her breaths came out choppy and shallow.

'No, no, please, no! Why am I...Stop it! Stop...'

Her saviour failed to notice the complete terror on her friend's face as she finished her check for bodily wounds. Turning around, Kjelle produced a short axe and hurled it savagely at the surprised risen. The axe took the sniper's head clean off its shoulders, dark smoke sizzling where the assailant once stood.

''Pah, those zombies have no pride, sneaking up on soldiers taking a break.'' she sighed, yanking the arrow out with a slight wince. ''And all these years you still haven't learned to watch your back, eh?'' she chuckled, turning to face her friend. ''What am I gonna do with-...C-Cynthia?''

Kjelle's breath hitched as she came face-to-face with her hero looking absolutely terrified, pupils the size of pins and shaking violently as she stared at the small wound that continued to bleed at the knight's side.

''Y-Y-You're b-b-bleed-ding...'' the shell-shocked girl shuddered, a trembling finger pointing to the hole in her armour where trickles of blood dripped out.

Kjelle's own body started to shiver at the sight of her normal bubbly and innocent friend, looking like a child staring at their burning village. ''C-Cynthia, snap out of it!'' she cried, cupping the girl's face in her hands. ''I'm wearing armour and it was just a measly little arrow! I'm fine! I'm fine!''

But Cynthia wasn't convinced. Shaking her head vigorously, she quickly broke out of Kjelle's hold and ran over to her pegasus, tripping as she snatched up a heal staff which she had recently learned to use.

''No... You're hurt... my fault... my stupid fault!'' she whimpered as the staff began to glow blue, sealing shut the small opening as flighty hands barely kept their hold on the rod.

''Cynthia! I told you, I'm fine! Why are you- ouf!''

The rest of her sentence is lost to her as she suddenly felt Cynthia collapse and wrap her arms around her torso in a quivering and desperate hug, the staff forgotten as it clattered and rolled upon the ground. Tiny, repressed sobbing could be heard echoing against her plate mail, droplets of tears trickling down the steel and shaky fingers clinging onto the knight for dear life.

''I'm sorry, I'm sorry...'' Cynthia weeped, her voice pitiful and shrill. ''My fault, not good enough...I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Kjelle...''

The knight flinched at the haunting words as the pegasus knight's grip continued to tighten. Kjelle knew it. The girl was still stuck in the past, still caught up in some ill-placed sense of shame. Normally, the stoic knight would get agitated at such a display of weakness and inability to adapt. But, there was something about Cynthia that made her falter. Seeing those tear-filled, pleading, eyes quiver and dote over her wellbeing made the knight feel sympathetic and...warm. She couldn't let her friend sink into that awful depression again, thus the usually stubborn and impassive general allowed herself a moment of weakness.

''Hey, hey. ...C-Come here.'' the knight, as gently as she could, soothed, wrapping her own arms around the trembling girl's back as she returned the embrace in full. Cynthia squeaked in surprised at touch, but ultimately gave into Kjelle's arms while bitter tears continued to drizzle down the steel of her princess. The slew of apologies never lessened their pace as Cynthia continued to pour out her remorse.

''Sniff, hic...I'm sorry. I'm sorry, sniff...''

''It's alright, Cynthia. You did great today. Lets head back, now.'' she eased, leading her friend and her pegasus back towards the others. She saw Sumia frantically rush over when she caught sight of her daughter's tears. Many others ran towards them as well, offering a ride on their horse or a towel to clear her wounds. But Cynthia chose neither, continuing to stay shaking and clinging to Kjelle's arms until they were well off the battlefield.

* * *

><p>The cool, afternoon air softly bit at Kjelle's skin as she took time to enjoy the scenery before her. It was autumn and the trees had began their annual wardrobe change, their leaves now reflecting beautiful shades of yellow, orange, and vibrant red. A hint of spice lingered on the air, tingling her nostrils as the essence of nature intertwined with her senses. Such a pleasant feeling. It almost made be carried off against her will worth it.<p>

The knight sighed as she glanced at her kidnapper from the corner of her eye. A determined aura was engraved on the pegasus knight's face as she lugged Kjelle towards the mountain range at the edge of camp. Cynthia had spent the last couple of days after the fight in an unfitting melancholy, so much that Kjelle almost missed the sensation of being carried by those eager arms.

She had been feeling a rather annoying knot in her stomach recently whenever she saw the normally chipper girl weakly shuffle and mope around camp like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. Her attempts at exercising the knot away were largely in vain, so when Cynthia had bolted into her tent right in the middle of her changing, Kjelle put up little resistance when the now much more animated rider scooped her up and raced off without a word of their destination. It was refreshing to see that spark of life again in her friend, a tiny smile forming on her lips despite the uncomfortable position she was slumped in. Made her heart race a little for Naga knows why.

''You feel like telling me where we're heading to, hero?'' the knight finally asked, more interested in just hearing Cynthia's voice than knowing the answer.

She was quiet for a moment, as if detached from the waking world. ''You'll...You'll see when we get there.'' was all she allowed, a steely facade covering up her emotions.

Kjelle sombrely hummed. That didn't quite satisfy her like it was supposed to. Cynthia's usually bubbly voice felt so hollow today, like ashes from a fire that had burned out. Her ears yearned, needed to hear that sunshine-made-sound ringing again. Cynthia just wasn't herself without it.

'Jeez, what the hell's gotten into me.' she writhed, a slight hint of red on her cheeks. The knight never felt so mushy before. She needed a six hour training session after all this touchy-feely goop.

Folding her hands in defeat, Kjelle remained quiet for the rest of the ride there, deciding to erase her angst in the presence of the drifting clouds above. The tranquility brought a rare calm in the knight. It was nice to forgot all about risen and saving the world for a moment and just relax while bathing in the presence of a friend, even if said friend wasn't exactly responsive. So reclused in her trance, Kjelle didn't notice the sky turn into a sea of multicoloured leaves until they were well into the forest.

Arriving in the middle of a clearing, Cynthia gave a long sigh before gingerly letting her friend down, Kjelle hopping to her feet and giving her stiff limbs a long stretch. She chanced a slight stare at the pegasus knight who seemed to be deep in her thoughts, eyes reflected downwards as she nibbled on her fingertips. Kjelle held her tongue just enough to gift Cynthia a few seconds of silent deliberation, allowing her to gather her wits and force the resolve onto her face.

The knight smiled behind her back. 'That's the Cynthia I know.' facing her friend in what felt like ages.

''So, hero. You better have a good excuse for dra-''

''Strip.''

''...ging...'' The crisp sounds of the forest simmered against the awkward silence between the two as leaves continued to dance in the wind, silently mocking the spectacle.

'...Well, this was unexpected.'

''...WH-WHAT?!'' the bewildered girl screeched, sending a couple crows racing from the trees. A scarlet blush burned her entire upper body as she processed the ridiculous request while Cynthia continued to stand in front of her, waiting. 'Naga, she's even tapping her foot! What the hell!'

''Strip. You know, take your clothes off, get naked?'' the girl matter-of-factly explained, face unnaturally passive as she said it. It was almost like she was insulting her.

''I-I know what it freaking means, Cynthia! J-Just...W-Why are you-!''

Kjelle stiffened and blushed even harder (she didn't think it was possible) when Cynthia suddenly closed the distance between them and clamped her hands down on the knight's shoulders, her sharp eyes seizing attention. They were intense for a moment, but slowly and gradually ascended into shyness and uncertainly, the pegasus knight wincing mildly at an unspoken thought.

''Haaa...you know why, Kjelle.'' the girl croaked in a voice that was almost lost to the wind. Glossy eyes returned focus on her friend as Cynthia's features pleaded at the knight. ''Show me your scar.''

Kjelle's embarrassment slowly morphed into understanding, along with a touch of dread. Of course it was the scar, everything always returned to that stupid little scratch. Even when they were in the hot spring, Kjelle was careful not to show anyone the wound, even when Cynthia snooped and offered to wash her back about twenty times. All this hero stuff was supposed to make her forget about it. Why on Ylisse would she want to remind herself?

''C-Cynthia, stop being ridiculous. I told you that it's fine.'' gently pushing her friend away. ''Why can't you forget it?''

But Cynthia wouldn't take no for an answer, furiously shaking her head with a child-like frown. ''No, Kjelle, I need to see it!'' Frustrated, the girl groaned before taking a deep, calming breath, despite her slight quivering. Kjelle froze when she saw whispers of tears threaten to leak from her friend's eyes as she desperately tried to control her emotions.

''Sniff. Just trust me, Kjelle, please.''

Her teeth grit feebly. She knew this was a bad idea, but damn it, how could she resist her when she acted like this? Kjelle made one last attempt against it, but ultimately failed at sight of those big, pleading, orbs.

With a moan and a blush, the knight turned her back to Cynthia and slowly began to undo the buttons of her hem. The little gasp her friend did when she finally saw the pale expense of skin lining her shoulders, only served to make her blush even more, white gradually descending into pink. She felt so damn embarrassed, nervous fingers struggling with the buttons. If a group of risen found them, she would probably die of shame first before any steel was drawn.

Finally, the last of them come undone, allowing the shirt to effortlessly slid down her arms and giving everyone behind her a good, naked, view of her bare back, scar, and anything in between.

It was quiet for a moment, Kjelle not daring to steal a glance at Cynthia for fear of her seeing the tomato-red heat. After what felt like a short eternity, Kjelle twitched at the sudden sound of fallen leaves softly crunching underneath footsteps as someone slowly made there way over to her.

She clutched the front of her shirt even harder, adamant not to let the trees get a look at her bullions. She cursed herself at how flighty she was acting. It wasn't like the confident knight to tremble and wince at the thought of someone catching a passing glimpse of her body, yet here she was, shaking like a schoolgirl on her first date.

'Relax, soldier. It's just harmless, little, Cynthia. There nothing to be afra-EEEEEEP!'

Her heart did a backflip in her throat when she felt suddenly felt dainty fingertips trace their way down the length of her back, tiny shudders accompanying them as Cynthia moved along the outline of the scar. Shoulders tensed and skin broke out in goosebumps. It was all the general could do, not to start crying in humiliation.

The hands lingered on the scar for a little while longer, making sure to transverse all of its surface, before starting a terrifying turn towards Kjelle's front half.

'This is nuts, this is nuts, this is nuts. Why did I agree to this?' Beads of sweat cascaded down her face like a waterfall as she felt soft fingers travel northbound. Her eyes squeezed shut in fear, her muscles stiffened with paralysis, making no move to stop the advance of Cynthia's curious hands. 'I'm not ready for this! I can't let her...her...button my shirt?'

Her eyelids agonizingly inched open to see porcelain white fingers in the middle of redoing her buttons.

''Wh-Wha- Cynthi...a...''

The knight froze, mouth partially agape, when she turned her head to face the girl. Kjelle saw...a smile. Not just any smile, but a smile that radiated everything that was right in the world, a smile that seemed to be at peace with the past, present, and future, a smile that belonged to an angel. Cynthia looked so beautiful...

'I-I-I m-mean...p-p-re...g-goodl-look...C-Cynthia!' the knight fumbled, not knowing where her disgustingly cringy vocabulary came from.

In the midst of her turmoil, Cynthia's big, brown, eyes focused their attention and kindness on Kjelle's, before that sickeningly sweet smile widened even further, arms enveloping the flustered woman in a tight, gleeful, hug.

''Thank you Kjelle, thank you so much.'' she breathed, nuzzling up to the embarrassed knight for good measure. ''That scar messed up my head for the longest time. It kept telling me about how I almost got you killed, about how weak I was.''

''C-Cynthia! You're not-!''

But the pegasus knight simply silenced her friend with a finger to her lips and a quick shake of the head. ''But at the same time, I needed to face it again, to remind me of why I need to be a hero, and to remind me of how much you care about me, Kjelle.''

Kjelle's heart raced in her chest at the sweet words, the general shyly trying to calm it down. The effects only got worse, however when Cynthia decided to get even more intimate, cutely rubbing her nose against Kjelle's red cheek.

''Thank you, Kjelle. I may be your hero, but you've always had and will be my knight in shining armour. Ehehe, thanks!''

Kjelle could feel her insulin levels rise dangerously high. It should be illegal to act this heart-poundingly adorable. But, she was relieved to she her friend coping well with what happened, even if it was in a cheesy and storybook manner. With a relieved smile, she returned the affectionate contact, though with somewhat less vigour (there was a limit on how many 'emotions' she could handle per day).

''Whatever helps, hero. I'll always have your back, on or off the battlefield.''

Cynthia giggled happily, taking a moment to savour the comfy hold of her awesome friend. Though she allowed it to be a brief moment, quickly jumping out of the hold and slapping her face a couple times, much to the dismay of her friend.

''Emmmmmm, bah! But enough of all this non-heroey stuff!'' the girl loudly miffed, before bring her fingers to her mouth and making a sharp whistling sound.

It took all of two seconds for Cynthia's pegasus to suddenly flap on over the trees on down into the clearing. As the beast raised its eyes over Kjelle's figure, the knight felt oddly self-conscious about her weight.

''Cynthia, what's going ooOOOON!''

She should have expected it. The eager rider somehow managed to teleport right next to her and scoop the knight up again, quickly racing over to her mount and plopping her startled friend on the the beast's back before getting in the driver's seat herself. Kjelle definitely did not like where this was going.

''Oh no. I'm am not- D-Don't do this to me!''

But her friend just gave her a mischievous grin, picking up the reins. ''You better hold on tight, princess.'' she taunted in a sing-song voice. ''She buckles a bit around strangers.''

''NO! Don't you try it, Cynthia! Cynthi-EEEEEEK!''

Kjelle squeaked out the most feminine cry she had ever done in her life as the pegasus swiftly propelled itself into the air with a whinny. Her eyes shrunk to the size of pinpricks when she saw the ground beneath them rapidly shrink away, the three of them ascending into the orange-hued clouds.

''C-C-Cynthiaaaaaa! Let me down! Let me down! We're gonna dieeeeeeeee!'' the general snivelled as she wrapped her arms around the rider's torso for dear life. She could face down hordes of blood-thirsty risen, no problem, but heights? That one was a rather embarrassing fear of hers.

Cynthia gave a amused smile, even as the pair of muscular arms squeezed her ribs in a death-grip. Maybe she could spare some more time basking in her public. Said public was definitely acting cute when she was hugging Cynthia like a teddy bear. With a happy giggle, the rider brought her mount into a series of mid-air twirls and swoops, vibrant laughter intermingling with horrified screams.

Cynthia loved it. The cool, refreshing wind on her skin, the amber glint of the sun in her eye, and most of all, touch and presence of her princess, knight, and friend against her back. This was what made being a hero all worth it.

''Alright, you big crybaby, we're here.'' the girl smirked as she slowly commanded her pegasus to a halt. ''You can open your eyes now.''

''I-I am NOT crying!'' the knight adamantly said. The wetness near her eyes was just sweat...yeah. Nevertheless, she managed to gather her courage and force her eyes open, taking great care not to allow her gaze to drift downwards. ''W-Why did you bring me up...here...''

Her fears were pleasantly swept away when she saw the sight Cynthia had prepared for her. In the distant horizon, the sun was setting with an intensity Kjelle had never seen in her life. The ethereal flame burned a glorious, bright orange, as softer shades of red, purple, and pink melted along the fringes of sky around it, colours so striking, yet so relaxed. The sunset coated the vast expenses of forest beneath it in a breath-taking veil of orange and purple that seemed to give new life to the dying leaves, one last dance of radiance before their fire flickered out. Kjelle could only manage a shudder as she felt the evening breeze on her skin, the hint of nature's spice wafting on the air, and the stunning woman smiling in front of her, navy blue hair gently blowing in the wind as the sun bathed her in it's glory.

''It's so pretty, isn't it.'' Cynthia sighed, eyes looking off into the horizon. ''Because of Grima's stupid miasma, the sunset back in our time looked so bleak and depressing, like the rest of the world.''

''Cynthia...'' Kjelle knew exactly what she was talking about. Every moment of the day, every second of the night, the sky was tainted by disgustingly morbid grey clouds as the fell dragon's influence blocked out everything the sky had to show, from the sun to the stars. It hurt their moral as much as it hurt their eyes.

''But, on the first day I arrived in the past, I flew my pegasus up and saw this awesome, amazing, sunset. It was like seeing the sky for the first time again.'' slightly shivering as the warmth of the sunlight cascaded over her body. ''I like to fly up here after a hard battle and just spend some time looking at the sunset, to remind me of why I'm fighting. Though, I haven't been doing it a lot lately.''

''What? Why?'' the knight asked, wondering why someone would stop visiting this heavenly gift from the goddess.

Cynthia turned around and gave Kjelle a smile that rivalled the sunset in pure radiance. ''Because, now whenever I need a reason to fight, I just look at you!'' she chirped, eyes closed in happiness.

Kjelle sure was thankful for the sunset covering her face, because the blush that blossomed on her face burned with an intensity as hot as the sun. Her heart did acrobatics in her chest. She swooned for the first time in her life, and she swooned hard. Why was this girl so damn adorable? Why did she enjoy her presence so much? Why did she care about Kjelle so much and why did it make her feel so tingly inside when she did?

The soft tussling of her hair against the autumn wind, the warmth that radiated from her core as Kjelle held her, the spark of life and joy in those glossy, sunset-reflecting, eyes. She truly did look absolutely beautiful. She allowed herself to admit it this time. Feeling extremely shy all of a sudden, Kjelle buried her face into Cynthia's shoulders, getting a light laugh from her friend.

''Aww, are you crying again? Don't worry, heroes love comforting the tears of their princesses!'' Cynthia soothed with unfitting enthusiasm.

''...I told you, I'm not crying.'' she mumbled into the pegasus knight's shirt. ''But...thanks for showing me this. And... let me stay like this for a little longer, Cynthia.''

With a content smile, Cynthia nodded and relaxed as she stared off into the vibrant setting sun, a hand placed over Kjelle's lap. No one ever said being a hero was easy, but she couldn't deny that the benefits and happiness they got at the end of the day were totally worth all the work.

They stayed there until the stars came out.


	3. Chapter 3

''Hey, Kjelle. What are you gonna do after we beat Grima?'' the blue-haired girl chirped, taking a long gulp of her water bottle as she absently played with her practice lance.

''Heh, no 'ifs' huh, hero? I like that.'' Kjelle smirked, tossing her sweaty towel aside before taking a long, dreamy stare up at the glistening night sky above.

The two of them had been spending more time together in the last couple of days since their scenic talk. It took Cynthia some getting used to Kjelle's idea of hanging out, with involved 99% training, but she enjoyed the company of her friend nonetheless. Today, they had just finished a rather intense sparring session, and were relaxing in each other's company next to the glow of the evening campfire when Cynthia popped the sudden question.

''Don't really know to be honest. Our future doesn't have a place for us anymore, and I've spent too long on the battlefield to just retire and be a bar maid or some crap. I might join the military, or more likely, travel as a mercenary. There's still stuff in this world I want to see, still places I'd like to visit when they're not in ruins.'' she sighed, resting her head against her hands. ''What about you, Cynthia? You _are _an actual princess. Gonna go sign treaties and have tea parties for the rest off your days?'' she teased.

Cynthia gave an angry pout as was expect. ''No way! I'm still gonna be the greatest hero in all of Ylisse! A hero's job is never done, after all!''

Kjelle heartily laughed at the fairytale line, indifferent to the ballooning of Cynthia's cheeks. ''I'm just joking, Cynthia. I feel you though. Do something for a long enough time and it's hard to stop. I can respect that.''

The pegasus knight playful turned her head from the knight, feigning anger. Though she gave up when her princess wrapped apologizing arm around her shoulders, deciding to humour her lady with forgiveness. Gods, princesses were so needy.

''I mean, Lucina said we should probably get out of our parent's lives afterwards, but I get the feeling she still wants to visit them.''

The rider mirrored her friend's posture and leaned back as well, staring up at the dazzling, untainted, night sky. ''But, I still want to see this world too. Make up for lost time, see the sunset above different landscapes. Go on another adventure, y'know?''

''I'm sure you'll become great enough that 'Cynthia' will become a household name. Lance and cape suit you well.''

Cynthia smiled happily at the praise, pumping a fist in recognition. ''I know, right! The heroic Cynthia still has dragons to slay, maidens to save, evil to face! Buuuuut, fighting without you guys is gonna be pretty boring.'' she miffed, blowing puffs of smoke out into the chilly, evening, air. Her eyes lowered a fraction.

''...I-I know it's terrible, but sometimes I wish we could just stay like this, forever. Fighting alongside our parents and each other. Even though we could die in every battle, it... it gives me an almost peaceful feeling, just being with everyone.'' Eyes stared at the night canvas with a yearning while her melancholy dripped into the sky.

Her ears reddened as the weight of her uncomfortable words soiled the air, shrinking into Kjelle's body. ''Errr, I said something weird, didn't I?'' she winced, embarrassed that her traitorous thoughts were actually voiced. ''S-Sorry!''

But the expression on her friend's face was anything but offended, giving her a sympathetic, if somewhat understanding smile. ''Don't sweat it. I know what you mean. It's going to be hard not waking up one day to the smell of mother's cooking, even if it smells like risen breath.''

Cynthia laughed at that. She wanted to remind her friend that her cooking wasn't that far ahead, but she let her have her moment.

''Mmm, and fighting without one of you watching my back will feel kinda wrong. We've been through a lot together, huh? Surviving Grima's future, finding the gemstones, journeying back through time. It's been a hell of a ride.''

Cynthia hummed as the wave of nostalgia washed over her. Her heart sank a little when she thought about life without all her friends. A hero travelling without their companions was like a hero without their weapon. No more flower fortunes with her mother, no more half-baked scheming with Owain, no more protecting and spending time with her princess... That one made her feel especially sad for some reason. But a idea popped into her mind to combat the gloom, bringing a sudden smile to her face and a fuzzy warmth to her chest.

''Hey, Kjelle! Can I travel with you?'' she beamed, eyes twinkling brighter than the stars.

''...H-Huh?!'' Kjelle's posture crumpled as a touch of pink rosied her cheeks.

She supposed the idea was innocent enough, since some of the others had made plans to travel with each other as well. But somehow the idea of travelling alone with Cynthia made her feel really...weird? Not so much weird, but giddy and warm, though she would never admit that.

''We both want to see the world, right? And I still have to prove my hero-ness to you. Come on, Kjelle, pleeeeeeease? Just the two of us saving the world together, it'll be fun!''

The knight mumbled into her collar, trying to hide her obscenely shy face. Damn that stupidly cute grin of Cynthia's!

''I-I-If you have nothing better to do after this, than y-you can do whatever you like. J-Just don't get in my way.'' she murmured, faint whispers of a blush peeking out from her clothes.

Cynthia's face lit up like a Christmas tree before tackling the flustered woman in a ecstatic hug, little giggles of joy peeping out.

''Yay! This is going to be so awesome Kjelle, just you wait! We can save villages together, write heroic ballads, roost marshmallows! Ehehe, thank you, thank you!''

Her heart raced for about the hundredth time around the girl, as Kjelle tried her best to position her face away from Cynthia's own. She cursed the gods for making her act so damn girly around the pegasus knight.

''Sigh... you just be sure to pull your weight, hero. By the time the me of this timeline is born, I want to be able to show her the badge that she'll never have.'' she grinned, flicking a finger playfully at her friend's forehead.

Cynthia smiled vigorously, before deciding to close her eyes and rest in her knight's arms. ''You bet, sister! I'll be sure to make it so awesome, that she'll want to jump in front of risen daggers herself!''

Their lone laughs brought a bit of joy to the silent night, before the two friends comfortably fell asleep in each other's hold, dreaming of a future with heroism, clear skies, and one another.

* * *

><p>''Nah, look out!''<p>

With a focused glare, Cynthia barrelled her spear right into the back of the dark rider charging an arcfire spell behind her manekete friend. The risen let out a grisly shout before crashing down to the ground along with its undead mount. The pink dragon gave the briefest of nods in appreciation before sending a crystalline ball of energy directly into the chest of a wyvern lord in front of her, easily dispatching the beast before moving on, Cynthia following.

Their group was fighting an especially powerful band of risen today, evident by the many wounds littering their troops and the frequent humming of heal staves.

''Achoo!'' she suddenly sneezed, nose sniffling against the drizzle of rain that joined in on the risen's assault. Of course the weather decided to unleash a heavy downpour on them today. While it did make for a dramatic scene, this was one battle where the glory was unwanted. She'd already seen Gerome have to fall back because of a nasty Thoron to the side. She hoped the others fared better. All of a sudden, her thoughts were painfully interrupted when her pegasus abruptly collided with the dragon in front of her, looking up to see Nah raise a scaly wing.

''Archers.''

True to her word, Cynthia could see a number of archers and mages perched on a ledge and firing down on their companions in the valley below. Sometimes she wished she could just cover her pegasus in plate mail. It felt very unheroic cowering behind her friends every time she saw a measly bow.

''I'll go in and take them out while you try to ambush the sages, got it?'' the pink beast growled, her normally child-like voice humorously distorted by a manekete's maw.

Cynthia gave Nah the go ahead before the dragon raced off with a mighty roar. The risens' arrows and spells pretty much bounced off her scales as balls of energy slammed and knocked the snipers off their feet. The pegasus knight took a much more subtle approach, deciding to use the edge of the ledge as cover before swooping up and slashing at a couple of surprised sages, spells dying unsaid on their lips.

It wasn't long before the surface of the outcrop was littered with craters and risen dust, allowing the two a view of the valley below. Cynthia could see that their ground troops were faring much worse than her and Nah. A small platoon of Shepards, including her sister, Owain, and Kjelle, were being swiftly overwhelmed by a wave of swarming risen. The rider's veins filled with dread when she saw the heavy gashes and chinks in her friends' armour. Even the normally invincible Kjelle seemed to be having trouble repelling the literal wall of corpses around her.

Nah stole the opportunity for a first strike when she almost instantly dived into the fray with a savage roar, making a beeline for the spot where Owain and his father were fending off a trio of paladins.

''Right, a hero is never idle.'' Cynthia said, slapping her cheeks. Her tragic future taught her that every moment counted on a battlefield such as this. The reins in her fingers barely moved before her pegasus shot downwards towards Cynthia's comrades, mount and rider perfectly in sync. She spotted her sister first, duelling with both a assassin and a swordsmaster.

''Sis! Watch out!''

The assassin didn't know she was on top of it until her lance was buried in its head. Lucina allowed just a moment of astonishment before leaping towards her lone foe, Falchion dancing artfully as it cut the swordsman to ribbons.

''Cynthia, thank you. Those two could have brought the end of me.'' the young exalt smiled, her blade glowing bright as it slowly healed her wounds.

'Right, her freaky sword does that.' she thought, her staff feeling awfully neglected.

''B-But sister! You have your own wounds to worry about!'' Lucina cried, eyes widening and hands gingerly falling upon a number of magical burns scattered on her body.

Cynthia winced slightly at the contact, but tried her best to grin through the pain. Somehow she forgot that a couple of spells had managed to hit home when she and Nah was clearing out the ledge. It was nothing a hero like her couldn't handle though. If it didn't come from a quiver, Cynthia could take it!

''Awww, sis! Stop it, I'm fine!'' she whined as Lucina pricked and fussed about her injuries.

''Do not be such a child.'' the elder sister doted, preparing a vulnerary from her sides. ''This will only take a-''

A loud cry suddenly interrupted the two sisters as twin heads of blue swivelled in the direction of the sound. Cynthia's heart sank when she was faced with the sight of her princess tattered down with large gashes in her armour and blood matting her porcelain face. For a moment, she allowed herself a glimmer of hope when she noticed that even against the odds, Kjelle was still kicking risen butt like no tomorrow, eyes alit with vigour. But those hopes where swiftly and brutally dashed when she saw a great knight ominously charging towards her back, a hammer raised threateningly in its hand.

Cynthia knew that the general couldn't take a direct hit from a hammer with wounds as deep as those, and with three risen already in front of her, Kjelle wouldn't be able to block the attack. The reins in her hand snapped automatically, her pegasus lurching towards her friend at speeds faster than she thought possible.

''Cynthia! No! Your wounds!''

But Lucina's plea fell on deaf ears. The rider couldn't bare to stand the sight of Kjelle falling in battle, seeing the blood and life drain from her body once again.

'No... we have to go on that adventure, Kjelle. I still have to prove myself to you...'

The great knight's armour was much too thick for her weapons to pierce and she doubted shouting a warning would have made any difference. She could only see one way to stop her friend from taking the blow. Rain matted blue hair to her face as she came within spitting distance of the knight. Her heart sent out a silent prayer as she shoved herself into the way of the oncoming risen, eyes locking with Kjelle's for a brief moment in time. She noticed how pretty they looked.

_Thud_

Cynthia's breath refused to release when she felt the massive hammer smash into her ribs, a sickening crunching sound accompanying it. She then felt something dribble out of her mouth, something that tasted coppery. The world around her got a little blurry after that. She silently mouthed a 'sorry' to Kjelle when she saw her friend's eyes widen with absolute terror. It didn't suit her.

She saw the rest of that battle in flashes. She momentarily saw the general screech in shock and rage. She saw the great knight sag as a lance thunderously smashed through its armour. She saw the other risen around them get crushed in a hail of lance strikes and energy balls. She saw a pale, trembling face stare down at her, brown eyes frantic with panic and helplessness.

''H-Hey, Kjelle... Y-You can't... get h-hurt... We still...h-have to go on that...adven...ture...'' She thinks she says that, but the ringing in her ear blocked out most of the noise.

Her vision started to fade at that point. It was a chilling feeling, like someone was stealing her consciousness from her, but for some reason, she didn't really mind. Kjelle was safe, most of her blood tucked safe away in that beautiful body of hers. The hero had saved her princess. Classic storybook ending. Right?

She could hear a number of faint screams for her name in the distance. She could even vaguely make out some of their faces. Her sister, Nah, Owain, but only one face was able to glow through the fog: Kjelle's, tears mingling with rainwater and the faint feeling of her arms around Cynthia's frame.

''P-Princesses a-aren't supposed...to...c-cry...''

That was the longest she could stay in the waking world. Faces soon descended into blackness as Cynthia sent her last wishes with her friends. Her last sight was the general vainly try to slather a vulnerary at her side, pleading the rider for... forgiveness?

'No... I'm the one whose...sor...'

Darkness took over.

* * *

><p>The next thing Cynthia was aware of was a strange world of black. Every once in a while, odd memories from her past would flicker through the dark veil. Times before her parents died, times where she stepped through the portal to this world, and everything in between. Oddly, many of them seemed to revolve around a certain knight. She saw memories of the young, scrappy tomboy dragging her along to explore creeks and forests. She remembered how Kjelle used to help her master the skills of the lance. She remembered silent nights huddled together when they were on the road to find the gemstones and the fire in the knight's eyes as they fought through the risen filled streets of Plegia's capital.<p>

The memories then become more recent as she saw the events of a few days prior, watching the sunset with Kjelle, relaxing by a campfire together... and the sorrow in her friend's eyes when she clutched Cynthia's battered body.

'...Some hero I am...'

The extended darkness served as a testament to her regrets. Maybe if she was stronger, she could have managed to pierce the great knight's armour, like she saw Kjelle so effortlessly do. Then her friend wouldn't have to waste her tears on the rider.

The next set of visions were perhaps the strangest, as they belonged to no memory of Cynthia's. See saw pictures of them defeating Grima and the world return to an age of peace and prosperity. She saw lands of such diverse beauty. She saw those places bathed under a different sunset, and she saw it with... Kjelle by her side. That made her feel really warm for some reason, so much, that the visions showed her more of the pretty knight in response. The darkness seemed to brighten a little as she saw scenes of the two of them fighting off bandits together, saving villages, enjoying life together. She smiled at the warm thoughts (or, at least, her semi-conscious form did).

She saw visions of her spending some down time with Kjelle as they watched the stars above.

'Oh, comfy!'

She saw herself trek through grassy fields in the mid-afternoon sun with Kjelle happily settled in her arms.

'Hehe, I knew she would come around!'

She saw them staring at each other with love-struck eyes under the moonlight, hands intwined.

'...huh?'

She saw Kjelle slowly move her lips over hers, both of them letting out a shudder as they began a delicate dance of the tongue.

'W-Wha-?!'

She then saw the two settled in between sheets, bodies bare as needy hands thoroughly explored the alabaster expenses of each other's skin.

'Whoa, whoa, whoa!'

* * *

><p>''BWAH!''<p>

Cynthia woke up with a shout and a blush as she was suddenly throttled into the waking world. Lucid eyes slowly made out the interior of a torch-lit tent and her back against a wide mattress. Slowly, she also became aware of two forms on either side of her. One seemed to be her aunt Lissa, a mend staff in hand and calming hand over her shoulder. The other was-

''CYNTHIA!''

She almost went momentary deaf again as Kjelle cried out her name, her hands quickly darting to Cynthia's own. As she looked back at her, Cynthia noticed that the knight had heavy bags underneath her eyes and red splotches of space from... crying? As the woman held onto her hand, she could feel the strong fingers tremble and shake in their hold, as if Cynthia would disappear if she let go. The sight of Kjelle's panicking only served to increase Cynthia's own.

''Shush, shush, sweetheart. It's okay.'' she heard her aunt say, pulling her back to the bed as she raised the mend staff over Cynthia's wound. Looking down, the pegasus knight shirked as she noticed that, save for the bandages covering her side and a wrap done over her breasts, the entire upper portion of her body was completely naked, causing her to shyly shrink into her blanket.

''Hehe, no reason to get embarrassed, Cynthia. Both me and Kjelle have been staring at you like this since yesterday. There's nothing you can hide that we haven't seen.'' the cleric giggled, though Cynthia noticed Kjelle start to redden like a tomato, avoiding eye contact with her for a moment.

Blushing slightly herself, Cynthia dropped resistance on the blanket and allowed her aunt to began healing the wound, the dull light of the staff slightly tickling her stomach.

''That hammer broke a couple of your ribs and will leave a permanent bruise on her side I'm afraid. Me and Libra were able to fix most of the damage to your ribs, but there's little we can do about the scar. He recommended that you get a few days off before going back into battle, so you just focus on resting up, alright?'' her aunt said with a comforting smile, which Cynthia meekly nodded in response.

''Good girl! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to tell your mom and dad that you woke up. They've been worried sick, you know!''

With a pat on her head and a suspicious wink to Kjelle, Lissa left the two girls alone as she went off to find Sumia and her brother. The air was silent between them for the next few seconds. Cynthia felt the need to hold her tongue when she saw her friend hide her face behind a pair of slightly quivering hands, though she could she a bit of a grimace stretching her lips. But as the seconds turned into minutes, Cynthia could no longer bare the silence, mouth creaking open and eyes searching.

''K-Kjel-''

''You idiot!''

That frightened her. Her eyes widened when she saw the knight push her face up to hers as scrutinizing, brown, orbs burned with fiery anger, as well as a touch of sorrow.

''Why the hell would you do that, Cynthia?! Diving right into a goddamn hammer for me! You almost got yourself killed! You...you... idiot!'' the knight screeched, squeezing her eyes shut hard and Cynthia's shoulders harder.

The pegasus knight didn't understand. Wasn't this what heroes were supposed to do? Save people? Why did Kjelle have to waste her apologies on her? This sort of face didn't suit the beautiful knight.

''K-Kjelle, why are you... This is what heroes-''

''Cut the crap, Cynthia!'' she roared.

The hurt in the rider's eyes repressed most of Kjelle's anger, however, as the knight slowly, and shakily arched her gaze downwards, hand still squeezing Cynthia's own.

''...How can you say all the stuff you did when you almost died, Cynthia? How could we have gone on that adventure if... sniff...''

Cynthia freezes when she catches sight of rare tears drip down her friend's face. She instinctively moves her hand upwards to cup Kjelle's face, where she can see a better look at her princess's scrunched up, sorrowful expression. Kjelle takes her hand with both of hers, almost trying to position it between them so as to hide her shameful face. She can feel the hot tears cling to her fingers.

''When I saw you take that hit for me, the blood dripping from mouth, the pain in your eyes, I...*sob*...I just couldn't take it, Cynthia...'' the knight weeped, her shaking starting to rise uncontrollably. Kjelle's voice suddenly rose to a fever pitch.

''I don't care if you stop being my hero, I don't care about that stupid scar, I don't care if I get so hurt, I never fight again! Just... don't make me see you like that again, Cynthia...sniff... I can't take it, please...''

Her friend's completely out of character crying brings a shudder out her breath. She had never seen the knight act so defenceless, seem so distraught about something, even when their parents' had died. But, what could she do?! She didn't want to see Kjelle hurt either! She couldn't just stop being her hero! She would...she had...

'Oh...'

In that moment, Cynthia finally learned the true meaning of being a hero. The heroes in the books she read were able to make everyone they met happy, save princesses and slay evil like it was the easiest thing in the world. But, seeing the things that she did in her last couple of years, somewhere, in the recesses of her mind, she doubted that such tales could be reality. Perhaps true heroes were the ones in the background of the fairytales, the ones who did things truly for the good of the people, whether they wanted it or not.

She had met some people on her travels that she thought were completely nuts. Some of them praised the power-hungry Conquerer, Walhart as a hero. Some called her tyrannical grandfather a hero. Some even suggested that the Mad King Gangrel was a hero! Of course, they were bad people who made some very poor decisions, but maybe there was some good in their actions, a hidden motive to their evil. Perhaps they realized the lesser of two evils wasn't lesser by much, but would save more lives regardless. History would remember them as the villain, but their actions would benefit their people in the long-term, and matter to a select few, such as the people she met.

She thinks Kjelle is like that, but obviously to a lesser extent. The knight fights and maims herself for her friends, even though they do not want her to put herself in that kind of harm. She was also wise enough to make the hard choices that others couldn't. Cynthia remembered a particular instance when they were searching for the gemstones in their future. There was this village on the fringes of Ylisse who was terribly beset by risen. The villagers begged them to help, but Kjelle refused, only offering them the advice of fleeing while they could. Cynthia remembered that Nah didn't speak with the knight for days after that. But, on the return trip, the group could see the ruins of the village in the distance absolutely swarmed by risen, enough of them to fill a small army.

Her first thought was 'What if we did something?', but if they did, what then? The four of them wouldn't have stood a chance against that many risen, and they would have died never finding the gemstones for the ritual. These were the hard decisions a hero had to make, and this was the reason why Kjelle did what she did for her, and why she knew what she had to do for Kjelle.

Wincing at the movement, Cynthia slowly took both of Kjelle's hands within her own before pressing their foreheads together. She could feel the blushes on both of their faces radiate in the air between them.

''I'm sorry, Kjelle, but I can't stop being your hero.'' she innocently whispered, a soft smile poised on her face.

When the general raised her voice in protest, Cynthia silenced her with a finger, shaking her head.

''Do you remember the time when you took that dagger for me, and I just kept whimpering at you and asking why? Well, that's the sort of face you're looking at me with right now, Kjelle.''

The knight had no words, just flapping her mouth open and close as her still wet eyes struggled to come up with a rebuttal. She could find none.

Cynthia lightly giggled at the sight. She'd never seen the headstrong knight so flabbergasted. She used one of her fingers to wipe away a bead of Kjelle's tears before returning her hand into her hold.

''I understand now. No matter how much a plead or I beg, you'd still take a arrow, axe, or whatever for me regardless, because you care for me that much. And I'm the same, Kjelle. I don't want to see you get hurt either.''

The general's tears still hadn't stopped even as Cynthia brought her into a hug, Kjelle blubbering into her friend's naked chest. She allowed herself to forget her embarrassment as she continued to comfort the crying woman. Tilting her head up, Cynthia stared down at her friend with big, sparkly, eyes, smiling like the new dawn as voiced her request.

''But I want to make you happy too, Kjelle, and I want to be happy with you. So, I'll continue to watch your back if you'll continue watching mine. That way, both of our backs are covered!''

Her cheeks fogged with red as she tried to find the right words to voice her request. ''Basically, what I'm asking is... will you be my hero too?''

Cynthia stifled a laugh as she felt her friend's heart pound away against her chest, though she doubted her heart was fairing any better. Kjelle stared up at her like she was looking at the goddess herself before putting on one of the biggest, happiest smiles Cynthia had ever seen in her life. It brightened her heart.

'Now that is a look that suits you, Kjelle.'

''You really are an idiot, sniff.'' she jokes, removing herself from Cynthia's body. ''I've had your back since the day we met, sport, but if you need to hear it... of course I'll be your hero, sniff... thank you. Let's be happy together, Cynthia, as hero and hero.''

The rider giggled at the cheesy line, choosing to ignore the pounding of her heart. Maybe Kjelle had found some of her mother's novels. ''Great! Oh, but we'll need some second seals.''

The two share a harmonious laugh at that, finding comfort in simply laughing for the sake of laughing, rather than at the joke. Afterwards, they enjoyed the silence that came with good company for a little while longer until Cynthia noticed Kjelle staring at her naked torso, quickly redoning her blanket with a small blush.

''O-Oh! No! I-It's not like that!'' the knight stammered, a light blush on her features as well. ''I-I was just thinking about your scar. It's such a shame for someone like you. My body is full of scars and isn't very feminine. You on the other hand have such a nice figure.''

Cynthia giggled through her blushing, lightly slapping her friend's wrist. ''Now who's stuck in the past? Oh, but we're scar buddies now, aren't we?'' she perked, suddenly feeling strangely happy about the everlasting blemish. ''Oooh, want to see who can make the other's scar a badge of honour first? And don't worry, I'll go easy on newbie hero.'' she finished with a mocking grin, flauntingly stretching out her arms.

Kjelle's eyes lit up at the rider's taunting, her usual pumped and eager face burning away any traces of tears. ''Oh, you did not just say that. But if you really want to get proven wrong that badly, I'm game.'' she grinned, the blood rushing through her veins just at the thought of it.

''Oh, you are so gonna get creamed! I've been doing this before you got a second promotion! Winner has to do whatever the other says, deal?'' eyes reflecting an equal intensity and sticking out a ready hand.

Kjelle made no hesitation before tightly griping and shaking the offer, the two friend's souls shimmering bright in their eyes. ''Deal. Pah, this won't take a week.''

''Still haven't had your fill of alphabet soup, huh?''

Despite Libra's predictions, Cynthia was back on the battlefield the next day.


	4. Chapter 4

Cynthia's eyes were glazed in contemplation as she lay out of breath in the middle of Severa's tent, the equally tired mercenary panting beside her. The rider had been feeling very strange in the last couple of weeks after her injury, which was odd because they had also been some of the most enjoyable in her life. To her excitement, Kjelle took the hero thing just as seriously as she did, resulting in the two of them smashing through risen at an amazing pace in order to prove their heroism to the other. Kjelle had also lessened their training sessions in order just to hang out with the girl (though not by much... around to 70%? 75%? Definitely less than 80%... Maybe).

Yet, whenever Cynthia was around the knight, she would feel this... tingly warmth in her heart. Sometimes, when their hands grazed each others after a long session of sparring, she could feel her heart beat faster. When she looked too long at Kjelle's sweating body, she could feel her skin heat up. At first she thought that Noire's mom had put a curse on her, but after a long, pain-staking hour of being a frog, Cynthia decided that miss Tharja wasn't to blame.

Thus, this was precisely why she decided to try and get Severa's advice on the matter! She knew about all those weird, non-heroic, emotions. But, of course, Cynthia couldn't stay in the same room as the twin-tail without them breaking out in some sort of argument, and subsequently, some kind of contest. Today, they decided to see who could hold their breath the longest while doing push-ups. She forgot what on Ylisse that was possibly supposed to prove but it felt important in the heat of the moment, leading them to exhaust all their energy on the painful feat and falling flat on the floor within minutes.

''Hey Severa.'' the rider squeaked after a full minute of wordless breaths. ''Do you ever feel... funny sometimes?''

The mercenary turned her weary head but a fraction, not exactly in the mood for the airhead's spiels. ''I feel like puking right now. Care to clarify, lamebrain?'' She was still feeling sore after that contest, which she totally won.

The pegasus knight squirmed a tad as a pinch of red decorated her cheeks. She felt oddly uncomfortable talking about these feelings all of a sudden. But it was too late to back down now, especially after that little contest they just had, which she totally won.

''Nggggg, like... warm and fuzzy all of a sudden, even if it's cold outside?'' She grimaced as she said that.

'Maaaaaaan, that was super unheroic!'

But the strange words seemed to peak the interest of the mercenary, making the effort to face her frienemy with an eyebrow raised in curiosity. ''...What do you mean 'warm and fuzzy? When does this happen?'' If her hunch was correct...

''I... I dunno...'' She felt rather embarrassed. ''When... when I look at somethin-...one, too long? I-It's like the feeling you get when you see a super cute puppy! Y-You just can't stop staring and staring and wanting to touch it!'' the rider yelped, her face scrunching up in exasperation.

Severa jolted up smushed her face against her friend's, eyes dancing with curiosity. This could be a rather fun timewaster. ''Who? Who do you feel this around, Cynthia? Tell me.''

The girl whimpered in fear at the looming presence behind the voice. Her shyness would have held her tongue, but Severa's glare could give Grima a run for his money. ''K-K-Kjelle, sir! I mean, Chrom! I mean, ma'am!''

The mercenary suddenly sputtered spit all over Cynthia's face, half-surprised, half in mirth. Backing up, Severa giggled loudly into her arm before bursting into hysterics as Cynthia whined and wiped the drool off her face.

''KJELLE?! You feel this way for Kjelle?!'' the twin-tail howled with laughter, indifferent to the sour pout she was receiving. ''I know I'm a good teacher, but I didn't think she would actually be able to use the stuff I taught her to pick up women! Oh, gawds, my sides, ahahahahaha!''

''S-Shut up, Severa!'' Cynthia yelled, getting the feeling that she was being made fun of. ''You stop your laughing and start putting your words into things I an understand, now!''

Wiping a tear from her eye, Severa let out a long, amused, sigh as she plopped herself in front of her friend, just offering the twitchy girl a silent, taunting smile.

'Oh, this is utterly rich.' she hummed, taking a moment to enjoy Cynthia's snivelling face. 'The little goof is even denser than I thought. I'm gonna enjoy making you squirm, lamebrain.'

With a seedy smirk, Severa slinked her way over to the innocent rider, voice shimmering with gibe as she whispered into Cynthia's ear.

''So, what exactly is it about Kjelle that makes you feel... funny, Cynthia? Is it her powerful demeanour, her charismatic strength, the way she dances on the battlefield?''

A tiny squeak trickled out of Cynthia's mouth as the images began to flood her mind. The knight did have a very alluring charm when she fought. The way she effortlessly clears risen, the sparkling glint in her eye when she was focused...

''Or perhaps it's her physique itself? Those hard, chiseled, abs, the pretty, dainty face behind her armour, those strong, _sexy_, arms that comforts as well as it maims.''

Was it starting to get hot in here? Cynthia cheeks felt like they had just been hit by a Bolganone. The mere thought of those graphic descriptions made her heart race and her palms drip with sweat.

'W-Weird! I'm starting to feel weird again! Make it go away!'

Severa had to hold back her laughter as the girl squeaked and squirmed before her. She could practically feel the heat radiating from her skin. 'Oh gawds, she's drooling! This is too good! Now, time to hit home...'

Face brimming with mockery, the sadistic mercenary swivelled Cynthia's blushing face towards her as she at last acknowledged the rider's important question. ''My, my, you're burning up. Is this how strongly you react to Kjelle?''

''Ngghh... weird... w-what's wrong with me, Severa! Tell me!'' she begged, body feeling like it was going to explode at any second.

''Why, you haven't figured it out already?'' she quipped before, leaning deep into Cynthia's ear, the sizzling in her voice infectious. ''You. Love. Kjelle.''

It was silent for a moment, Severa taking a second to giggle quietly to herself before backing up to bathe in her handiwork.

'Yes, yes, YES! She squirming, she writhing, she's... not giving a damn.'

Much to Severa's surprise, and disappointment, Cynthia's shyness seemed to have died the moment she said those words, an unimpressed, almost insulting look of stark indifference judging the mercenary. She oddly began to question her life decisions.

''Uhhh, yeah, no duh I love Kjelle.'' the rider matter-of-factly panned, an eyebrow raised in...annoyance?! ''You're not as good with this emotional stuff as I thought, Severa.''

Cynthia's lack of modesty and criticisms brought an angry blush to Severa's face, eyes wide and lip quivering as she was scrutinized by the very person she was supposed to be making fun of.

''Y-You-I-I... Wh-WHAT?! What kind of shameless maiden are you?! H-How can you j-just...'' Embarrassment tore at her nerves as Cynthia continued to degrade her with a stare.

'T-That stupid, ugly, pega-pony LOSER!'

But Cynthia continued her provoking stare. ''Why are you so hung up on this, Sev? She's one of my best friends! Of course I love her. I love you too!'' the oblivious girl resolutely smiled.

''Bwa...W-WHATTT!?''

Severa's face quickly took on the hue of her hair, mind bewildered and never expecting the intimate response, not matter what context it may have had.

''I-I-I-I, N-NOOOOO! T-That's not what I...I mean!-... ARRGGGGHHH! DOLT! STUPID! PEGAPONY... JERRRRRRK!'' The embarrassment had drastically limited her vocabulary.

''Hey, hey. Calm down there, Sev.'' the knight chuckled, mildly taken aback by the heated outburst.

'Sheesh, Sev sure is immature.'

''Oh, wait! Does that mean you feel that funny feeling around me!? Hey, hey! Tell me what it means!''

''AA-...BWA-... QFXXVJLPP- NO! I-I MOST CERTAINLY DO NOT FEEL THAT WAY ABOUT YOU! I-I MEAN- W-Well, you're my friend, but-... N-NO, WAIT! W-WHO WOULD WANT TO BE FRIENDS WITH A L-LOSER LIKE-...**AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!**''

Embarrassment and shame reaching critical levels, Severa could only smash her head against a nearby chair in order to calm down, Cynthia watching strangely. Finally, after the shame, and a couple of brain cells, had been dislodged, Severa crammed her face right up to her tormentor's eyes livid with pure rage and hellfire as Cynthia squeaked frightfully.

''LISTEN HERE, YOU LITTLE ASS! YOU LOVE KJELLE IN A **ROMANTIC** WAY! LIKE MARRIAGE ROMANTIC! LIKE OUR PARENTS LOVE EACH OTHER ROMANTIC! LIKE 'LETS MAKE LOTS OF BABIES' ROMANTIC!''

It was now Cynthia's turn to blush, at long last realizing her agonized friend's words. ''Wh-What!? N-No I don-''

''**** YOU! DON'T YOU GIVE ME THAT: 'B-But that's forbidden love!' BULLSHIT, NERD!'' Clearly, she had moved well beyond 'pegapony jerk'. ''YOU MADE ME HUMILIATE MYSELF MORE THAN MY MOM IN FRONT OF CHROM, SO I'M NOT LETTING YOU GET AWAY WITH SOME SHITTY UNREQUITED LOVE CRAP!''

Needing a moment, Severa paused to headbutt a nearby stool, which promptly exploded into pieces. Redirecting her piercing eyes on her prey, who was now huddled whimpering in the corner, Severa leapt menacingly before her.

''You. Take a hike and meet me back here in two hours. Exact. I'll tell you how to win iron-crotch then. And if you even THINK of bailing out on me, I'll make you wish that you were back in our apocalypse of a future, savvy?''

With a snivelling, weak, nod of her head. Cynthia agreed to the terms of her sentence with no resistance. Snarling, Severa quickly directed the snot-dripping soldier to the door, which the knight wasted no time in racing out of, her frightened screams echoing long after she was out of the tent, leaving Severa alone at last.

''...my head huuuuuurts...''

* * *

><p>A little shy of two hours after the threat on her life, Cynthia was now making her way back to Severa's tent, a shake in her boots that was in no part due to the coolness of the coming evening. It had been two of the longest hours of her life, and though she was sure some of it was due to the apprehension of her coming doom, she had also spent much of it pondering about what Severa had accused her of: loving Kjelle... in a romantic way.<p>

She had heard the stories of heroes finding true love and marrying the princesses that they rescued. Of course, she had just chalked this up to another shiny reward of being a hero, and had given no thought to the implications behind it (kinda like winning a trophy. It's there. I won it... now what do I do with it?). Being told that she romantically loved her princess should have been something she was prepared for and accepted.

But, whenever she thought about her and Kjelle doing... romantic things together, it was like someone had smacked her with the unheroic shovel. Her heart raced, her palms got sweaty, butterflies did somersaults in her chest. Cynthia had always thought them as the bestest of friends, but if her feelings, and that very explicit vision she had when she blacked out, meant anything, perhaps she really didn't mind loving Kjelle in that way... maybe she wouldn't mind if Kjelle would kiss her under a moonlit sky, embrace her bare under satin sheets...

''...PFFFFFFFTTTTT! W-What the heck was that!?'' she yelped as fists smashed her head readily in an effort to dispel the traitorous thoughts. ''Ngggghh, Kjeeeeeelle... What did you do to me...''

''You're eight seconds late.''

Startled out of her reverie, Cynthia jumped when she realized she had walked right into Severa's tent, the mercenary's scowl unwavering in the two hours.

''S-Sorry! I-I was just... W-What d-did you need?!''

Severa snorted at the rider, still somewhat angry at Cynthia for her humiliation. With a rough hold, Severa shoved the girl down into one of the few unharmed chairs in her tent, looking down at her irritably.

''...Hmph. Don't know why I'm wasting all this time on you, but I'm getting some dirt out of this, whether you like it or not. In an hour's time, you're going out on a a date with Kjelle.''

Cynthia took a while to process that, looking up at Severa with glossy eyes and mouth agape before suddenly throttling up from her chair, though she was quickly shoved back down with a sneer.

''W-What?! A date?! Y-You mean a ro-ro-ro-''

''YES, I MEAN A ROMANTIC ONE, FEATHERBRAIN! DON'T MAKE ME HEADBUTT MORE FURNITURE!''

The strange threat oddly managed to subdue the girl, slumping down with eyes spinning in their sockets. ''B-B-But, I don't know anything about dates! A-Am I supposed to hold hands with her, rescue her from a dungeon, help her assassinate the Archduke of Plegia-''

Severa jammed a fist into the rumbling knight's mouth, unable to handle the crazed girl's ideas for much longer. ''Stop talking. I've already arranged it, so there's nothing you can do about it. You're gonna take Kjelle on a nice evening out in the castle town to the east of our camp. Now, shut up so I can dress you up.''

''E-Ehh! Dress up?!'' the knight whined. She hadn't worn formal clothing since before Grima took over. ''I don't wanna! Can't I just wear my armour?! I look fine, right?''

It was Severa's turn to give a completely unconvinced, mocking stare, sheer disgust and ridicule reflected in those glinting orbs. Confidence and pride deflated, Cynthia grumbled as she turned around, allowing the mercenary access to her hair.

''Y-You could have been nicer about it...''

Severa cracked a long-due smirk before wordlessly beginning to comb and prim the unhappy knight.

Throughout the entire session, Cynthia pouted and squirmed like a child in time out, which Severa forcefully chose to ignore. Part of the pegasus knight's angst was due to the bullying her friend had shelled out, but another part of her was quite worried about what her and Kjelle would do on the date. She really meant it when she said she had zero experience with these things. If Severa didn't give her some advice, the two probably would end up assassinating someone.

''Severaaaaaa.'' the girl whined while a coat of makeup was applied to her cheeks. ''I don't know the first thing about dates!''

''Pff, stop your whining, nerd. I've already made reservations at a top of the line restaurant. For the rest, just do whatever they do in our moms' cheesy books. Hmm...''

With a final dab on the nose, Severa stepped back to appreciate her handiwork, Cynthia fiddling about under the stare. Seemingly satisfied, the mercenary grinned to herself, before rummaging around in a chest and pulling out a blackish outfit, which she promptly chucked at Cynthia. It was a lot less poofy than she was expecting.

''Here's your dress. Tell me when you're done changing and we'll go over the game plan.'' the red-hair dismissed, making her way out of the tent and sealing the door.

''Wha-...o-okay. Huh, weird looking dress.'' the knight muttered to herself as she inspected the cloth. It didn't look like anything she had seen Severa or the other women wear. Quickly stripping off her armour, Cynthia slipped herself into the black attire. While it was rather tight around her chest, she felt a little more heroic for some reason.

''Okay, Sev, I'm done!'' she cried, a little excited as the sour woman returned into the tent.

''Alright, lets see what the damage i-...sauh?''

Cynthia saw Severa's jaw drop the moment she laid eyes on her, taking a good chuck of time to simply stare at the rider before suddenly averting her gaze, a forced, vain smile barely visible underneath her blush.

''I-I knew I was good at this! It takes a special kind of talent to make someone like you h-half-presentable! S-See for yourself!'' she skittishly said, quickly handing Cynthia a mirror.

''Oh, come one! I don't think it's-...huh?!''

'This obviously isn't a mirror. It's gotta be a picture of my long-lost brother or something. A picture that moves and copies my every expression... oh gods, what did Severa do?!'

Staring back at her was a very refined and princely reflection of Cynthia. Her blue ponytail had been shifted to the side, where it now cascaded down one of her shoulders like a waterfall. A thin coat of makeup tinted her cheeks, making them glow charmingly. She didn't know how she didn't notice it 'til now, but the dress was actually a tuxedo, the silky expense of black satin wrapping snugly around her curves.

''S-Severa! What is... A tux?! B-But I'm a girl!'' the rider exclaimed. The adult world was a much stranger and scary place than she thought.

''U-Umm, you...y-you and Kjelle do that lame hero roleplay, right?! T-This matches! Totally didn't just want to see what you look like in a suit, har-haha...'' The mercenary's shifty eyes weren't the most convincing, however. ''A-Anyways! K-Kjelle's waiting for you in the bath house, knock on the changing room door five times. Now go!''

Before she could even say thank you, Cynthia was speedily shoved out of the tent, stumbling towards her first date. Severa gave a parting sigh of weariness and contentment before clamping her door shut and collapsing onto her cot, the good deed, as well as other images, fresh in her mind.

''...B-bah! I-I totally still don't see what mother's fascination with the royal family is about!...though Lucina's butt is kinda cuuuUUUARGHH! NO, I HATE THEM ALL!''


End file.
